John Hambrick

John Hambrick anchored the WEWS 6 and11 PM newscasts from 1967 to 1975. Along with Dave Patterson, Dorothy Fuldheim, Gib Shanley and Don Webster, Hambrick took WEWS from a poor third place station to a dominant number one. “The years spent with John on the news were arguably the best years of my life at WEWS” said Don Webster. “John was a true gentleman and a real pro. John was the captain of the ship but never tried to hog the spotlight. He knew we were a team and he steered the ship admirably. He loved his work and his family and will always be remembered by me as one of the good guys.”

Hambrick grew up in East Texas and Louisiana. His father worked for Humble Oil in what were known as oil camps, small towns that popped up during the oil boom. John studied theater in high school and at the University of Texas. He dropped out of UT and went out to Hollywood to become a star in the late 50s early 60s. Among rolls he landed were small parts in General Electric Theater and Playhouse 90.

Hambrick begin anchoring in Wichita Falls, Texas but it was while he was anchoring at WCPO in Cincinnati, owned by Scripps, that a series of events transpired to bring him to Cleveland.

The Scripps people knew they had a potential number one anchor and Hambrick hit it off with Fred Griffith, the WEWS news director and the move to Cleveland was sealed. John took Cleveland by storm. His charisma, good looks and personal air style connected with the Cleveland audience.

John left Cleveland in 1975 for Los Angeles and would work in New York, San Francisco and two Miami stations. “I think I made a mistake in leaving Cleveland ,” he told Ted Henry in 1992. “I look back on Cleveland, and my time in Cleveland as the one genuine success in my career.”